Scientists have uncovered encouraging new evidence that vast reserves of water ice buried in the Moon’s darkest craters have remained remarkably stable for billions of years — a discovery that could make future lunar bases much more practical.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, come from an international team that includes researchers from India’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER). They analysed high-resolution images and data collected by India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, focusing on the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the Moon’s south pole.
These areas lie inside deep craters that never receive direct sunlight. Temperatures there regularly fall below –160°C, creating natural cold traps where water ice can accumulate and survive without turning into vapour. The study concentrated on the zone between 85° and 90° south latitude — the same region that NASA’s Artemis programme and future ISRO missions are targeting for human exploration.
Until now, many experts worried that frequent small meteorite impacts would constantly stir up the surface, exposing the ice and causing it to disappear through sublimation. To check this, the team mapped millions of tiny craters, each between 1 and 20 metres wide, using detailed orbital photography and sophisticated computer simulations of impacts.
The results were surprising: about 74% of the permanently shadowed areas show almost no disturbance from these small collisions. While micrometeorites do create local changes, their overall effect on large ice deposits is minimal.
“These findings show lunar water ice is far more resilient than we previously believed,” the researchers said. Interestingly, the same impacts that were feared to destroy the ice may actually help future missions by uncovering deeper layers that would otherwise stay hidden.
The study also points to a natural process called “gardening” — the slow, continuous mixing of the Moon’s topsoil caused by tiny impacts and thermal changes. In crater-free zones, this gentle churning gradually brings buried ice closer to the surface, potentially making it easier to reach without extensive digging.
For space agencies, stable ice is a potential game-changer. It could be turned into drinking water, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel right on the Moon, dramatically reducing the amount of supplies that need to be launched from Earth. This is a vital requirement for building long-term habitats and supporting deeper exploration of the Solar System.
The research highlights the growing importance of international cooperation in lunar science. By combining Chandrayaan-2’s precise data with information from other missions and advanced modelling, the team produced one of the most detailed assessments of polar ice stability to date.
For India, the study adds strong scientific backing to its ambitious lunar roadmap and underscores the country’s increasing contribution to global planetary research.
